


Rewind

by Preppycat



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, FEELINGS ARE WEIRD, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Neo World Program (Dangan Ronpa), Platonic HinaNami, Sonia and Gundham are bffs aha, Trans Hinata Hajime, Unrequited Love, danganronpa - Freeform, is this komahina? Hinanami? Soniaki? All three? Who knows, like a lot of them, things are complicated but really aren't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 09:54:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28349466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Preppycat/pseuds/Preppycat
Summary: Hajime and Chiaki’s relationship as told by a Chiaki, the girl who loves her, Hajime, and the boy who loves him.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Hinata Hajime/Nanami Chiaki, Komaeda Nagito & Koizumi Mahiru, Nanami Chiaki/Sonia Nevermind
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	1. Sonia Nevermind

"What is the matter, dear dark queen?" Gundham asks, watching Maga-Z settle himself on the Princess's shoulder, "I sense a strong wave of sadness and longing radiating off of your mortal form."

Gundham knows his friend well and can tell when something is troubling her. 

She reaches up to stroke the Deva's furry head. "It it. . .really not important. I would hate to trouble you with a mere mortal problem." She sighs back. 

Gundham smiles, chuckling in that smooth deep voice of his. "Normally yes, I wouldn't dare trifle myself with mortal woes, however, you have curried my favor. Speak, Nevermind, and I will do my best to assist you." He commands. 

Sonia smiles. "Tanaka. . .thank you." She reaches around, gathering the Deva in the palms of her hands before offering him out to Gundham who accepts him immediately. 

"Okay. . .you know of Nanami Chiaki, right?"

Gundham nods once. "The slayer of virtual fiends." 

"Yes, the Ultimate Gamer!" Sonia claps her hands together, "You see, I. . .I have what humans call a 'crush' on her. It means I like her in a romantic sense. But, she does not know how I feel about her. . .are you following so far?"

"I am understanding completely," The sorcerer affirms, "continue."

"Yes, well. . .I wish she would look at me the way I look at her. Feel the same way I feel about her. But I fear she never will. Besides, I feel like she likes that Hinata Hajime boy." The blonde confesses.

The sorcerer strokes his chin thoughtfully before giving his answer. "Have you tried telling the brave slayer of how you feel directly?"

Sonia stiffens. "I. . .I would not like to do so until I am sure there is even a possibility she will return my affections."

Gundham lays his hand on her shoulder. "Here is what you do, Princess: spend more time with her, find excuses to do so if you must. Show her affection and love. The slayer will most certainly hold you in her heart then. She will no longer care for Hinata Hajime in that sense." He instructs carefully.

Sonia looks up to meet his eyes. "You truly believe that will work?" He nods, "Then I will try. Thank you, Tanaka!"

"Hmph!" He laughs, "Good luck in your quest, my dark queen!"

-

"Nanami!" Sonia calls out eagerly, running up the gamer, waving her hand excitedly. The peach-haired girl turns to face her, stifling a yawn.

". . .Nevermind-san. Hello." She greets her kindly. 

The Princess pulls herself together, praying she doesn't mess this up.

"Hello Nanami! I was just looking at my e-handbook and I noticed we don't have that many Hope Fragments together! And we'll never get off of this island unless we collect all of everyone's, so, care to spend some time together today?" She suggests.

Sonia's entire body tenses as she nervously awaits the gamer's answer. What if she says no? What if she already hates her-no, they were friends; it isn't like that. Then-

"Mhm. That'll be fun," Chiaki replies, sending a wave of serotonin over Sonia, "what did you have in mind?"

Sonia strokes her chin. A way to entertain and bond with Chiaki, huh. . .

"Perhaps. . .we can chat over a cup of tea? I've been craving a cup all day," She suggests, "I would've had one this morning but I missed it for my usual magic lessons with Tanaka you see. I-"

The peach-hair girl lays her hand on her arm, sending a wave of electricity through her veins, shutting her up. The Princess's cheeks heat up as she locks eyes with the gamer.

"You're babbling, Nevermind," She teases, "But tea would be lovely. Shall we go now?"

Sonia's face lights up. "Yes, please!"

-

The only other person in the restaurant when they walked in was Hajime. He's quietly picking apart an orange as he stares out the window. 

Sonia internally scowled. She was pretty certain Chiaki is attracted to Hajime in some way, shape, or form and now he was right in front of them.

She turned to the peach-haired gamer who was wearing a frown. "Look, Hajime is here all alone. He looks kind of sad," She suggests, tilting her head to the side, "perhaps we should go keep him company?"

The Princess bites her lower lip. This was exactly what she was afraid of. 

". . .Hajime is strong. I am certain he will be fine." Sonia says.

Chiaki opens her mouth to answer but before she can Hajime's head snaps up, glancing over at them.

"Oh hey, Nevermind, Nanami. What are you two doing here?" He asks. 

Chiaki smiles brightly. "We just came to share a pot of tea. Care to join in?" She responds eagerly.

Sonia frowns. Why does she have to look so happy every time she talks to him?!

Hajime smiles back. "Uh, yeah sure, that sounds fun."

Sonia furrows her brow. She came here to spend a private, intimate moment with Chiaki and here was Hajime, swooping in and stealing her away as always. 

She doesn't want to sit her and listen to the love of her life flirt back and forth with Hajime for hours on end right in front of her. The Ultimate Princess doesn't have the strength or patience for that.

". . .Um, you know what I just remembered I promised, uh. . .Mioda I would help her write a song," The blonde fibs, "so I've actually got to go. You two have fun."

Chiaki barely acknowledges her, already walking over to Hajime's table.

"That's too bad. Have a good time, Nevermind."

Sonia can feel tears prickling in the corners of her eyes and she begins to tremble slightly. 

"Yes. . .then goodbye."

She spins on her heel, reminding herself to walk slowly out of the restaurant.

-

Sonia began pacing the length of her cottage, alternating between waves of sadness and waves of anger. How dare Hajime keep swooping in and stealing Chiaki? Why is she attracted to the likes of him? She really is. . .isn't she? 

"Ugh. Shit!" She exclaims, biting her fist. 

Why couldn't she be attracted to her instead? She knew she could give her so much more than Hajime ever could! 

She wished she would see her the same way. . .

Or. . .is there the possibility she does but doesn't realize it yet? No, there's no way, Chiaki isn't that dense. . .is she? 

"I don't think I can hold my feelings in much longer," The princess muses, "I've got to tell her."

'But it can't just be any ordinary day. It has to be somewhere extraordinary. Hmm. . .maybe we can have a party and I can tell her there. Mioda has been itching for another party recently anyways. . .I should go meet with her and see what we can do. . .'

Sonia departs from her cottage and makes her way over to Ibuki's. She knocks on the door and Ibuki answers immediately, guitar slung over her shoulder.

"Hello Mioda!" The princess greets the musician, "Do you have a moment?"

Ibuki grins. "Lots of them! What's up, Nevermind-chan?!"

Sonia folds her hands together. "I was thinking we could have a party, you know, with all of us here on the island. We have not done that in a while, you know? So, would you like to help me plan one?"

Ibuki's face lights up. "Yes, absolutely, let's plan the bestest party ever!" She declares, grabbing Sonia's arm and dragging her in the direction of the Hotel Mirai, "first a location. Every good party needs a good location."

Sonia stops and stares up at the Old Building. "What about in there?" She suggests. 

"A party in there would be fun, sure," A new voice behind them chimes in, "but wouldn't a beach party be better? Boys with no tops, girls in bikinis. . ."

The two girls turn around and see Teruteru standing behind them wearing a smirk. 

"Aside from those perverted remarks, a beach party would be fun! I can probably set up a stage over there to entertain everyone with my sweet beats!" Ibuki agrees.

"I can make a wide variety of heavenly snacks for everyone!" Teruteru declares. 

"Yes. . .but the only problem is the beach is covered in litter. I am not sure we can convince anyone to dedicate time to cleaning it."

Ibuki then glances past him to where Nagito was walking by with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. "Komaeda-chan!" She shouts, nearly deafening the princess, "Come here a second!"

Nagito looks over at them, shrugs, and wanders over. "You said you were good at cleaning, right?" Ibuki demands.

Nagito smiles easily. "That's the only thing I'm really good for, yes." He agrees. 

Ibuki folds her arms over her chest, grinning wildly. "Great! We want to have a party on the beach in a day or so I think. Yeah, that'll work. Anyways can you clean up the beach for me?"

Nagito nods back immediately. "Yes, of course, anything for the Ultimates. I can do that straightaway." 

Suddenly, Chiaki pokes her head over Teruteru's shoulder. "Hey Hey," She says, "what's going on?"

Sonia instantly relaxes seeing the object of her affections, and smiles.

"We are planning a beach party!" She holds up two fingers, "in two days time in the evening we are going to have a party! There will be food, dancing, food, karaoke, swimming, the works. It is going to be so fun!" She explains.

Chiaki perks up slightly. "That will be fun. I'll spread the word to everyone else when I see them. I hope everyone will be there."

Nagito laughs nervously. "I didn't think there would be a point in me attending but I am happy to help plan and set up!"

The gamer sighs. "If Hinata hears there's a party and you don't intend to be there he'll have your head."

"Yes, yes, everyone has to be there!" Ibuki agrees, "that includes Komaeda-chan! Ibuki will shave your head in your sleep if you don't!"

Nagito's eyes widened slightly. "That certainly would be troublesome. . .Alright, if everyone insists on having a trashy person like me there, then I'll make an appearance." He promises.

Chiaki nods curtly. "Good," She lets out a yawn, "now please excuse me."

Sonia watches Chiaki move away but before she gets far, she decides she's not done talking to her yet and calls out to her, racing to match her stride. 

"Are you excited for the party?" The blonde asks.

"It'll be really fun. . .most likely. It's just so sudden."

'You have no idea.'

"Yeah, but does that truly matter? We are having a party and it is going to be so fun! We can dance!" Sonia continues eagerly. 

"I wonder if Hinata will want to slow dance. . ." The gamer muses. 

The Princess rolls her eyes when Chiaki isn't looking. "Yes. . .who would not want to dance with you?" 

"I'm not the best dancer but if someone important asked, how could I possibly refuse?"

Sonia smiles mischievously. "What if I asked you?" 

Chiaki smiles back. "Of course I'd jam out with you, Sonia. You're my best friend."

The words "best friend" stab Sonia and she smiles weakly.

"How kind. I will hold you to that, Nanami."

Chiaki winks. "See that you do."

-

Sonia wakes up the next day with a fully-dressed Ibuki bending over her bed. "Good nom-nom-nomming Nevermind-chan! We've got a lot to do before the party tomorrow!" She chirps. 

Sonia yawns daintily, sitting up in her bed, deciding to ignore the fact that Ibuki broke into her cottage. "You are absolutely right, Mioda. Let's meet at the restaurant in ten minutes and grab some breakfast before getting ready for the party." She suggests.

Ibuki nods eagerly before climbing off of the bed. "Yeah, see you then!" She agrees before turning and skipping out of the room.

Sonia dresses and washes quickly, admiring herself in the mirror. Ah, perfection.

She departs from her cottage, heading over to the restaurant. It seems that everyone else has already gathered here before her.

Nekomaru, Akane, and Byakuya are hogging the food, Teruteru standing proudly behind the table. Peko is sitting quietly in the corner sipping her tea while Fuyuhiko grumbles to himself, sitting across from her. Mahiru is cutting up an apple for an impatient Hiyoko. Kazuichi and Gundham are arguing in the corner, the sexual tension between them palpable. Mikan is struggling to calm an over-hyper Ibuki down. And last and certainly not least, Hajime, Nagito, and Chiaki are sitting at a table, chatting together happily. 

Sonia gathers some food on a plate before heading over to sit with Ibuki and Mikan. As much as she wanted to sit and eat with Chiaki, she already promised Ibuki. She sits down next to Mikan, across from Ibuki. 

"Hello Mioda, Tsumiki," She greets them, "let us begin planning immediately."

Ibuki grins. "Alrighty! Here is what Ibuki knows so far; the party will be at one O'clock tomorrow. Komaeda is spending the entire day cleaning up the beach and Tsumiki and Ibuki are gonna set up the stage and lighting and see if anyone else wants to help. Hanamura is gonna start his cooking preparations today as well, yes, yes. Ibuki doesn't think anyone else is doing anything." She lists off carefully.

Sonia tilts her head. "Oh, excellent. That was fast. What can I do to help then?" 

"If you really want to help, gather some materials we can use to have fun at the beach and bring them over. Check the storage room in the music venue and the Old Building." She instructs.

The Princess nods. "Can do, no problem."

-

Sonia spent a good two hours searching for chairs, floaties, beach balls, etc. Once she was satisfied with her findings, she loaded everything into two red wagons and hauled the items all the way down the beach. 

Mikan and Ibuki were about half-way done setting up the stage and lighting. Nagito was hard at work cleaning up the beach. Hajime and Chiaki must have shown up at one point, and were laughing with each other, not contributing to the set-up at all.

Sonia rolls her eyes. Did he always have to flirt with Chiaki?

She then looks over at Nagito who didn't look too pleased either. But he was probably just upset that neither of them were helping him pick up trash. The least she could do is help him out.

Sonia plasters a smile on her face and wanders over to where the fluffy-haired luckster is working hard. "Hello Komaeda! What can I do to help?"

He looks up at her with a face full of shock. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly allow a lovely Ultimate such as yourself to do such an awful task. The least trash like me can get rid of all the other trash here." He insists.

The Princess frowns, snatching the spear he was using to pick up the trash pieces with out of his hands. "Nonsense. What do we always tell you about your self-deprecating tendencies? You're not trash!" She insists, "Go take a break this instant! And I better not see you working!"

Komaeda looked like he wanted to drop to his knees and bow.

"Ah, okay Nevermind. I'll do as you say. Please excuse me." Komaeda responds with an empty smile before stepping away. 

Sonia sighs, watching the fluffy-haired boy walk away. . .right over to the stage. . .where he immediately offered his assistance.

'One problem at a time, Sonia.'

And with that she set to work.

-

Sonia returned to her cottage at the end of the day after a delicious supper by Teruteru, utterly exhausted after a hard day's work to prepare for the day of fun and relaxation that would come tomorrow. 

She changed into some comfier clothes, pulled her hair back in a braid, locked her cottage door, and settled herself under the covers. Tomorrow she plans to confess to Chiaki who she's almost certain is smitten with Hinata Hajime. But maybe they're just really close friends. . .who knows?! It's worth a shot. I mean, Chiaki and Sonia had done a little flirting a couple times before. 

She shuts her eyes, turning over. She'll bring some flowers from her personal garden behind her cottage, get Chiaki some punch, pull her off to the side and pour out her heart.

Her eyes fly open a second later.

Let's say Chiaki accepts her confession; could she even bring Chiaki back to Novoselic as her lover after the school trip? Would she even be able to capture a Golden Makango? They wouldn't be able to produce a natural heir. . .would her family even accept her? 

Sonia exhales deeply. She really shouldn't worry about this stuff unless Chiaki actually says yes. With Chiaki by her side she could figure it out.

-

Sonia ended up sleeping in late and missing breakfast again. No matter, Teruteru is making lots and lots of food for the party. As long as she got to the food table before those three. . .

Anyways, it's a beach party so beach attire is required. She pulls her hair back in a high ponytail and puts on a pink and black wetsuit. She gathers some beach day necessities into a picnic basket such as flowers for Chiaki, sunscreen and a water bottle, slips on her sandals and makes her way over to the beach. 

And man is it beautiful. Everyone looks like they're having a great time. 

Nekomaru, Akane, and Byakuya hogging the food, Teruteru lecturing them on saving some for the others. Ibuki is on stage playing a set while Mikan cheers her on nervously. Mahiru, Hiyoko, Kazuichi, and Gundham play a game of Volleyball while Peko and Fuyuhiko look on. Nagito is standing quietly by the lawn chairs, eyes trained on Hajime and Chiaki happily conversing in the corner.

Alright. Now she'll just ask Chiaki for a moment of time and pull her aside as planned. With a combination of nervousness and excitement, Sonia pulls out the flowers and turns to go get Chiaki. She begins to cross the floor but before she can get that far something awful happens.

Chiaki wraps her arms around Hajime's neck while he reaches for her hips. He pulls the gamer close to him and presses his lips against hers, Chiaki responding passionately.

The bouquet of flowers falls from Sonia's hand.


	2. Chiaki Nanami

(Begins the first day of Sonia's perspective)

Rewind. . .Rewind. . .  
Loading. . .

Chiaki's day started out just like any other.

She woke up early, having fallen asleep really early last night. She washed up and dressed herself before heading over to the restaurant. She made idle small talk with Hajime who was complaining about something or other-she didn't really care what. 

She finished up quickly before departing from the building, nose buried in a game, wondering what exactly she was going to do today. Luckily, the universe decided for her. 

"Nanami!"

The peach-haired girl turns her head sharply at the sound of a voice, looking away from her hand-held gaming device. Running towards her with sparkling blue-grey eyes and a dazzling smile, is the Ultimate Princess Sonia Nevermind.

Chiaki stifles a yawn, turning to greet her friend. ". . .Nevermind-san. Hello."

"Hello Nanami! I was just looking at my e-handbook and I noticed we don't have that many Hope Fragments together! And we'll never get off of this island unless we collect all of everyone's, so, care to spend some time together today?" She asks eagerly.

"Mhm. That'll be fun," Chiaki responds, tucking her device into her backpack, "what did you have in mind?"

Nevermind strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps. . .we can chat over a cup of tea? I've been craving a cup all day," She suggests, "I would've had one this morning but I missed it for my usual magic lessons with Tanaka you see. I-"

The gamer gently lays her hand on the Princess's forearm, shutting her up. She smiles up at her, making the blonde's cheeks go pink. 

"You're babbling, Nevermind. But tea would be lovely. Shall we go now?"

The Princess lights up. "Yes, please!"

-

The gamer's eyes fell to Hajime the moment they stepped through the door. He's sitting at a table in the corner, dividing his orange into pieces as he stares out the window. He hasn't seemed to notice their presence yet and his face looks troubled and saddened.

She instantly felt bad for him. Hajime doesn't deserve to feel that way at all.

"Look, Hajime is here all alone. He looks kind of sad. Perhaps we should go keep him company for a while?" Chiaki suggests. 

Sonia bites her lower lip. 

"Hajime is strong. I am certain he will be fine." She replies dismissively. 

Chiaki opens her mouth to reply but before she can Hajime looks up and over at them with a surprised expression on his face. 

"Oh hey Nevermind, Nanami," He greets them, "what are you two doing here?"

The gamer grins. "We just came to share a pot of tea," She explains, "care to join us?"

Hajime smiles slightly. "Uh, yeah sure, that sounds fun."

". . .Um, you know what I just remembered I promised, uh. . .Mioda I would help her write a song," The blonde recalls, "so I've actually got to go. You two have fun."

Chiaki shrugs, walking over to sit with Hajime. "That's too bad. Then, have a good time, Nevermind."

"Yes. . .then goodbye!" 

And with those words she strides confidently out of the restaurant. She then turns back to Hajime with a reassuring smile.

"You are sad. . .I think. Do you want to talk about it?"

Hajime merely sighs, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. "Not sad. . .more like, frustrated? Yeah."

Chiaki pulls out her device and begins tapping away at it. "Care to elaborate?"

He grunts. "It's just. . .Komaeda can be so confusing sometimes!" He raves, "We were just hanging out on the beach late last night. I mean, I couldn't sleep and I wandered over to the beach and Komaeda was already there being all aesthetic staring at the ocean. We ended up chatting for awhile and right before he headed back to his cottage he said something really strange." 

Chiaki hums to show she was listening. "Um-hmm. . .what did he say?" 

Hajime rolls his eyes. "He said 'Hinata, please don't forget from the bottom of my heart I am truly in love with the hope that sleeps inside you.' What the hell does that mean?!"

The gamer is silent for a moment. "I have no idea. You can just ask him, you know. There's no use getting hung-up on it." She says finally.

"I guess you're right," He huffs, "man, just when I think me and him are finally on the same wave link, he does or says something really strange! Ugh."

"Some people are hard to understand but not impossible. . .definitely. There's no use worrying about it. Let's just forget about it, Hinata." 

Hajime smiles slightly. "You always know just what to say, Nanami. Thank you." 

"That's what I do."

-

After laughing and chatting with Hajime for a while, Chiaki takes her leave with the intent of heading back to her cottage for a nap. While on her way she noticed a small crowd gathered in front of the Old Building. 

Sonia, Ibuki, Nagito, and Teruteru are gathered in a small circle, chatting and planning something eagerly. Warranting her curiosity, the gamer wanders over to see what's going on. 

"Hey Hey," She greets them, "what's going on?" 

Sonia smiles down at her. "We are planning a beach party!" She holds up two fingers, "in two days time in the evening we are going to have a party! There will be food, dancing, food, karaoke, swimming, the works. It is going to be so fun!" She explains.

Chiaki perks up slightly. "That will be fun. I'll spread the word to everyone else when I see them. I hope everyone will be there."

Nagito laughs nervously. "I didn't think there would be a point in me attending but I am happy to help plan and set up!" 

The gamer sighs. "If Hinata hears there's a party and you don't intend to be there he'll have your head." 

"Yes, yes, everyone has to be there!" Ibuki agrees, "that includes Komaeda-chan! Ibuki will shave your head in your sleep if you don't!"

Nagito's eyes widened slightly. "That certainly would be troublesome. . .Alright, if everyone insists on having a trashy person like me there, then I'll make an appearance." He promises. 

Chiaki nods curtly. "Good," She lets out a yawn, "now please excuse me."

She turns and walks away but before she can get very far, Sonia calls out to her. 

"Nanami!" 

Chiaki halts in her tracks long enough for Sonia to catch up to her. 

"Are you excited for the party?" She asks eagerly. 

Chiaki bobs her head. "It'll be fun. . .most likely. It's just so sudden."

Sonia frowns for a fraction of second before her face returns to its usual cheerfulness. "Yeah, but does that truly matter? We are having a party and it's going to be so fun! We can dance!" She insists. 

Chiaki's thoughts are briefly clouded with her brown-haired male friend, Hinata Hajime. Would he be into dances? The food, songs, etc.?

"I wonder if Hinata will want to slow dance. . ." She muses out loud. 

"Yes," Sonia agrees, "who would not want to dance with you?"

Chiaki smiles faintly. "I'm not the best dancer but if someone important asked, how could I possibly refuse?" 

Sonia grins. "What if I asked you?"

Chiaki grins back. "Of course I'd jam out with you, Sonia. You're my best friend."

"How kind. I'll hold you to that, Nanami."

The gamer winks. "See that you do."  
\- 

As usual, Chiaki wakes up early after falling asleep early. After getting ready quickly, she's one of the first people to arrive at the restaurant, along with Hajime, Nagito, Teruteru, and Akane. Akane is busy bugging Teruteru about when the food will be ready so she decides to sit with Hajime and his friend.

"I apologize for forcing an amazing Ultimate like you to sit near a disgusting lowlife such as myself. I-"

Hajime holds up a finger and frowns, instantly silencing Nagito. "Stop. That's not what I meant at all, Komaeda. And promise me you'll eat something for breakfast."

Chiaki sits down next to Hajime. "Good morning, you two. Did you have a good sleep then?"

Hajime shrugs back. "The usual. How about you Nanami?"

The gamer yawns. "Yep. Komaeda?"

He laughs nervously. "Yeah, as good as it can be." He answers. 

"So what are you two doing today?"

Nagito shrugs. "I'm going to clean up the beach for tomorrow. It should take me right up until supper time." 

Chiaki tilts her head. "By yourself? Isn't that a lot of work for one person?"

"Please, cleaning is the only thing I'm good for. I appreciate your concern, Nanami, but I can handle it." The boy promises. 

Hajime glances at him sideways. "I'll see if I can drop by and help you out later." He mentions. Komaeda seems to light up at these words, looking like he just might float away. 

"Thank. . .Thank you, Hinata!" He squeaks back. 

"So what'll you do, Nanami?"

Chiaki shrugs back. "Wander around, nap, see if there's anything I can do to help out."

Hajime snaps his fingers. "Perhaps we can earn a Hope Fragment together?" He suggests eagerly. Komaeda continues to stare down at his breakfast bagel, tearing it into pieces, a blank look on his face. 

Chiaki smiles back. "Perhaps we can go to the library?"

-

"Chiaki, have you ever been in a relationship?" Hajime asks suddenly, running his fingers over a row of book spines. 

Chiaki frowns, hopping up and seating herself on a table. Why the sudden question?

"Why do you ask, Hinata?" She asks out loud. He merely shrugs back.

"I was just curious. I was hoping to learn more about you, Nanami." 

The gamer finds her cheeks going pink. "Oh. Well then, no, I haven't. I'm absolutely terrible at dating sims; I always pick the wrong options. I'd be terrible in real life. . .I think." She answers.

Hajime hums thoughtfully. "I don't think you'd do too bad, Nanami, as long as you were just yourself." He replies.

A shy smile appears on her face. "Thank you, Hinata."

"Of course. Who wouldn't want you?"

". . .That's very sweet of you to say. Sonia says the same sort of things to me sometimes too. I bet you would excel at a dating sim. You should try one sometime."

Hinata ducks his head awkwardly. "Nanami, you know I suck at games compared to the likes of you. If you think you're bad at dating sims I'm definitely worse."

Chiaki wrings her hands. "Perhaps we can try it together sometime. With our combined strengths we could achieve a happy ending?" She suggests bashfully. 

He smiles. "Yeah, definitely." 

The pink-eyed Ultimate then glances up at the clock, noting the time. "We've been here for a while. Want to go help out on the beach?"

The brunet sighs and nods. "It would be rude if we didn't." He agrees.

Chiaki then grabs onto Hajime's hand and drags him out of the library. She doesn't let go even after they've left, not even when both e-handbooks chime with the sound of another Hope Fragment. 

-

Ibuki skips up to the pair the second they arrive on the beach. "Hi! Hinata and Nanami! Welcome!"

Hinata nods back at her. "Hey Mioda. We're here to help, what can we do?"

Ibuki strokes her chin. "Nanami, you've got some experience with technology, right? We can use some help with the lighting system. . ," She muses, "And Komaeda-chan has been picking up trash all alone, maybe Hinata could help?"

Chiaki nods. "Sounds good. Lead the way?"

"Yep!"

Hinata bids her goodbye before jogging over to Nagito who greets him with an eager smile and excited words. He responds with the same. 

Ibuki then latches on to Chiaki's arm and drags her over to the stage. The gamer can already sense she's going to be busy for a while.

-

"Nanami!" 

Hajime's voice snaps her out of her concentration. She looks away from the laptop and over at Hajime with a slightly-irritated look on her face.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"Let's take a break."

She grunts. "Yeah, we all will in a second. Just let me finish and upload my code here," She huffs, looking back down at her code, "you're making Komaeda take a break too, right?"

"Of course I am," He sighs back, "I worry about that poor boy. I just want him to be healthy and happy." He admits.

"Komaeda is lucky to have you in his life." 

Chiaki finishes the last line of code and uploads it. As there are no bugs are typing areas, it goes along flawlessly, allowing light to flood over the stage. She grins, satisfied, placing the device on the floor and hopping back to her feet.

"All done, Mioda," She calls, "and if you want them to do anything else just give me a holler."

"Thank you, Nanami-chan!" 

Chiaki feels herself relax, allowing Hajime to lead her off the stage, over to where Komaeda was sipping from a water bottle.

"How are things, Komaeda?" She greets him kindly. He offers back a weak smile.

"Same old same old. . ."

\- 

Chiaki stayed and chatted with Hajime long after Nagito decided he ought to get back to work. Some more people showed up to help during that time too. Eventually she exhausted herself and retired to her cottage to take a nap, waking up just in time for supper and man did Teruteru cook up a storm. 

Grilled lemon-rosemary chicken with a side of fig and arugula salad with walnuts and goat cheese. For dessert, he made this heavenly individual molten chocolate lava cakes for everyone. Naturally, there were no leftovers. Never when Teruteru was in the kitchen.

Chiaki retired early as usual, changing into her usual sleeping attire which consists of a hoodie over a tank top with plaid pajama pants, short peach hair pulled back with a headband. After playing one last round of one of her games, she laid down in her bed shutting off the light.

Hajime was really friendly today, and he asked some strange questions. Almost like. . .he was trying to figure out how to flirt with her?

Chiaki wasn't sure how to feel about that so she decided to ignore it. Hinata and her could have no future together.

Her mind then wandered to her best friend Sonia Nevermind, whom she loved the same. All the time spent with Sonia felt like a dream; it was truly a shame their time together would be limited.

She wishes things were different.

-

She wakes up early as per usual. She dresses in attire suitable for a hot day at the beach; a tank top, a skirt, a floppy hat, and flip-flops. She eats a quick breakfast consisting of a muffin and a cup of orange pekoe tea before heading over to the beach to help with any last minute set-up and preparations.

-

The party is in full swing. 

Most people have arrived by now and are already having a good time.

She smiles. Everyone is getting along just nicely. 

Hajime and Nagito chatting in the corner, Ibuki and Mikan by the stage, Mahiru, Hiyoko, Kazuichi, and Gundham playing a beach game near Peko and Fuyuhiko, and Nekomaru, Akane, Byakuya, and Teruteru were of course near the food. Sonia Nevermind had yet to arrive. 

A few moments later, Hajime pats Nagito's shoulder and walks over to join the gamer.

"Hello Nanami," He says, "Party seems to be going well."

Chiaki nods in agreement. "It makes me so happy to see everyone getting along and having a great time together. It just warms my heart."

"I sure hope there are no issues that arise." The brunet can't help but mutter, making Chiaki giggle a little. 

"I played a dating sim once that started at a beach party," She can't help but mention, "you were to meet all the pursuable characters there and to pass the first branch you had to get one of them to kiss you before the party was over. Now I don't know anything about kissing or getting someone to kiss me so naturally I failed. Wish I could know."

"I can show you how to," Hajime blurts out immediately, "once if you want."

The brunet stiffened, going red, looking mortified the second those words left his mouth. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I just wanted to help-"

"Could you really," Chiaki demands, taking a step closer to him, "show me how to kiss? I'd really like to kiss someone once in my life." 

Hajime blushes. "Only to help you out," He allows nervously, "purely platonic. . .okay. . .here, put your hands here. . ."

"Of course," She giggles, allowing Hajime to guide her hands, "I've seen the way you look at Komaeda sometimes."

Choosing to ignore her last comment, he guides her arms around his neck, moving his own hands to her waist and tugging her forward.

"And then you just. . ."

He bends down and gently presses his lips to hers. Chiaki, surprised by the strange feeling, can't help but respond, all the while wondering if it would be like to do this with someone else who wasn't like Hajime.

Someone more like Sonia Nevermind.


	3. Hajime Hinata

Rewind. . .Rewind. . . 

Loading. . . 

By the time four am rolled around, Hajime Hinata realized he wasn't going to sleep tonight. 

Tossing and turning for hours on end, trying every trick in the book but he still couldn't just fall asleep. Sure, he was tired mind you but that didn't mean he would actually sleep. 

'Maybe. . .I should get some fresh air.'

The mocha-haired boy kicks the covers off of his body before hauling himself out of bed. He throws a grey hoodie over the white T-shirt he wore to bed, slips his feet into some sandals, and leaves his cottage.

He glances up at the clear sky, a dazzling purplish-blue color with millions of twinkling stars. How beautiful. Every evening on Jabberwock island was.

Hajime then began walking aimlessly, hands stuffed deep in his pockets to shield them from the late night/early morning chill. The air smelled of warm sand and salty water.

He finds his feet leading him towards the beach, and Hajime, finding no fault with that allows it to happen.

He takes off his sandals before stepping on to the sand, not wanting to get them all grainy. He rolls the bottoms of his sweatpants and begins walking in the direction of the ocean. 

To his surprise, someone else was already there before him. Nagito Komaeda was standing there without a care in the world, fully-dressed for the day, fluffy hair rustling in the wind. If he noticed Hajime's presence he didn't comment on it. 

Shrugging to himself, Hajime took a couple more steps forward so that he was standing directly next to Nagito. They stood there in silence for a few moments before Nagito finally turned to him with a polite smile.

"Hello there, Hinata. What brings you out here so early?" 

"I could ask you the same thing." Hajime retorts, getting a chuckle in response. 

"I suppose you could," He agrees easily, "but this sort of thing is normal for me, not for someone like Hinata," He jumps slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry! It's not my place to ask an Ultimate about their personal business."

Hajime rolls his eyes and sighs. 

"Politeness is not personal business, Komaeda. If I were you I'd be wondering the same thing." He promises.

"Thanks Hinata. You're a good fri-person. Thank you for caring about me."

'He was going to say friend. He wanted to. Does he think he's not worthy of being my friend or something? Jeez, Komaeda. . .'

He puts a smile on his face. "Of course I do," He nudges the pale boy's shoulder playfully, "you're my friend, Komaeda. Probably my best friend on this entire island."

Nagito's eyes widen, cheeks revealing a tint of pink. "R-Really?! Y-Yeah, you're my best friend too, Hinata. Thank you." He said before frowning briefly for a few moments. 

"I'm glad to hear it, Komaeda," I ruffle his fluffy little head, "why don't you try and get an hour or so of shuteye before we need to leave for breakfast?"

". . .Alright, whatever you say, Hinata. Good night."

And with that he carefully steps away and starts heading back towards the hotel, Hajime watching him go. Halfway across the beach he suddenly stops and turns back to him, smiling faintly.

"Hinata. . .please don't forget from the bottom of my heart. . .I am truly in love with y-. . .the hope that sleeps inside you," He waves, "Bye now."

Hajime watches Komaeda walk away until he can't see him anymore, wondering what the frick frack snickiety snack the fluffy boy had meant by that.

-

Hajime sits in the corner of the restaurant, picking at the orange sitting in front of him. He frowns to himself.

'Hinata. . .please don't forget from the bottom of my heart. . .I am truly in love with y-. . .the hope that sleeps inside you.'

Hajime grits his teeth. Those words continued to play on his loop inside his head. What the fuck did he mean by that? Ah, why does it even matter; Komaeda is always saying confusing shit like that. 

He glances up, noticing Sonia and Chiaki talking quietly on the other side of the room. He flinches before deciding to acknowledge them.

"Oh hey Nevermind, Nanami. What are you two doing here?" 

Chiaki smiles and Hajime's heart flutters. 

"We just came to share a pot of tea," She explains, "care to join us?"

Hajime smiles slightly. "Uh, yeah sure, that sounds fun."

". . .Um, you know what I just remembered I promised, uh. . .Mioda I would help her write a song," The blonde recalls, "so I've actually got to go. You two have fun."

Chiaki shrugs, walking over to sit with Hajime. "That's too bad. Then, have a good time, Nevermind."

"Yes. . .then goodbye!"

They both watch Sonia walk out of the restaurant. He can't help but notice she seems to be wobbling slightly. Chiaki then turns back to him with a bright smile and sits down across from him. 

"You are sad. . .I think. Do you want to talk about it?"

Hajime merely sighs, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. "Not sad. . .more like, frustrated? Yeah."

Chiaki pulls out her device and begins tapping away at it. "Care to elaborate?"

He grunts. "It's just. . .Komaeda can be so confusing sometimes!" He raves, "We were just hanging out on the beach late last night. I mean, I couldn't sleep and I wandered over to the beach and Komaeda was already there being all aesthetic staring at the ocean. We ended up chatting for awhile and right before he headed back to his cottage he said something really strange."

Chiaki hums to show she was listening. "Um-hmm. . .what did he say?"

Hajime rolls his eyes. "He said 'Hinata, please don't forget from the bottom of my heart I am truly in love with the hope that sleeps inside you.' What the hell does that mean?!"

The gamer is silent for a moment. "I have no idea. You can just ask him, you know. There's no use getting hung-up on it." She says finally.

"I guess you're right," He huffs, "man, just when I think me and him are finally on the same wave link, he does or says something really strange! Ugh."

"Some people are hard to understand but not impossible. . .definitely. There's no use worrying about it. Let's just forget about it, Hinata."

Hajime smiles slightly. "You always know just what to say, Nanami. Thank you."

"That's what I do."

-

Chiaki departed a little while after their little talk, leaving Hajime alone once more. He should probably do something productive or go get a Hope Fragment or something, right?

With a heavy sigh, he pushes away his chair and stands up, wandering off to go see who he could find.

-

He stumbled across Peko Pekoyama staring wistfully at the horizon much like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode Four: A New Hope. He could practically hear the John Williams orchestra.

Ahem-anyways. 

Hajime didn't spend much time with Peko yet so might as well ask her, right? 

He swallows. "Hello Pekoyama!" He calls out to her. Peko turns at the sound of his voice, staring him down. 

"Hinata." She nods back.

He stands there awkwardly for a moment, shuffling his feet. "Uh. . .do you want to hang out? We can have a sword fight. . .with. . .sticks?" The brunet suggests stupidly.

After saying something so peculiar he didn't dare look up to see Peko's reaction. To his surprise, Peko starts giggling and he peeks up at her, noticing her adorable smile.

"Sure, Hinata. That sounds fun. Let us do that."

Peko then steps away, heading towards Jabberwock park, leaving Hajime no choice but to follow.

-

Hajime's back hit the ground hard, nearly getting the air knocked out of him. Suddenly there was a long stick lightly pressed to his throat, his own stick having been disarmed from him long ago. 

Peko then peers over him curiously. "Are you alright, Hinata? I was not too rough with you, was I?"

Peko then backs off and offers her hand, Hajime accepting it gratefully, allowing himself to get pulled to his feet.

"No, that was amazing, Pekoyama," He assures her, "you really are the Ultimate Swordswoman."

Peko ducks her head modestly. "Thank you for saying so. . .but, ah, we should get those scratches looked at by Tsumiki."

Hajime nods in agreement.

"Alright. Thanks, Pekoyama."

-

Hajime was one of the first people to arrive at the restaurant the next day. Teruteru (who always got an early start to make a savory delicious breakfast) is still hard at work in the kitchen. Hajime had offered to help once but he abruptly got lectured and kicked out. He hadn't tried again since. 

He seated himself at one of his tables, resting his chair on top. A minute later, Akane sauntered in and immediately went to harass Teruteru for table scraps or something. Nagito comes in a moment later, early to breakfast for once. 

His eyes scan the room cautiously before landing on me. He then awkwardly shuffles over, smiling nervously.

"G-Good morning Hinata," He stammers out nervously, "would you mind if. . .if you would allow me to. . .may I sit with you?" He squeezes his eyes shut as if bracing for something awful.

I blink. "Sure. Of course you can, Komaeda. You don't need to ask, you know."

He smiles shyly. "Okay."

Nagito practically falls into the seat across from me. He looks so incredibly tense, Hinata almost wants to tell him to relax but before he can Nagito speaks again. 

"I apologize for forcing an amazing Ultimate like you to sit near a disgusting lowlife such as myself. I-"

Hajime holds up a finger and frowns, instantly silencing Nagito. "Stop. That's not what I meant at all, Komaeda. And promise me you'll eat something for breakfast."

Chiaki enters the restaurant next and immediately comes and sits down next to the brunet. Hajime immediately lights up at her presence. Weird.

(this next chunk is just a replica of this part in Chiaki's perspective, skip until stopped if you wish)

"Good morning, you two. Did you have a good sleep then?"

Hajime shrugs back. "The usual. How about you Nanami?"

The gamer yawns. "Yep. Komaeda?"

He laughs nervously. "Yeah, as good as it can be." He answers.

"So what are you two doing today?"

Nagito shrugs. "I'm going to clean up the beach for tomorrow. It should take me right up until supper time."

Chiaki tilts her head. "By yourself? Isn't that a lot of work for one person?"

"Please, cleaning is the only thing I'm good for. I appreciate your concern, Nanami, but I can handle it." The boy promises.

Hajime glances at him sideways. "I'll see if I can drop by and help you out later." He mentions. Komaeda seems to light up at these words, looking like he just might float away.

"Thank. . .Thank you, Hinata!" He squeaks back.

"So what'll you do, Nanami?"

Chiaki shrugs back. "Wander around, nap, see if there's anything I can do to help out."

Hajime snaps his fingers. "Perhaps we can earn a Hope Fragment together?" He suggests eagerly. Komaeda continues to stare down at his breakfast bagel, tearing it into pieces, a blank look on his face.

Chiaki smiles back. "Perhaps we can go to the library?"

-

"Chiaki, have you ever been in a relationship?" Hajime asks suddenly, running his fingers over a row of book spines.

Honestly he didn't know why he asked that. How did his thought process lead there? Was it being alone with Chiaki with an extended period of time? Or maybe it was all the confusion he was getting from Nagito these days. . .

Chiaki frowns, hopping up and seating herself on a table. Why the sudden question?

"Why do you ask, Hinata?" She asks out loud. He merely shrugs back.

"I was just curious. I was hoping to learn more about you, Nanami." He lies. 

The gamer finds her cheeks going pink. "Oh. Well then, no, I haven't. I'm absolutely terrible at dating sims; I always pick the wrong options. I'd be terrible in real life. . .I think." She answers.

Hajime hums thoughtfully. "I don't think you'd do too bad, Nanami, as long as you were just yourself." He replies.

A shy smile appears on her face. "Thank you, Hinata."

"Of course. Who wouldn't want you?"

". . .That's very sweet of you to say. Sonia says the same sort of things to me sometimes too. I bet you would excel at a dating sim. You should try one sometime."

Hinata ducks his head awkwardly. "Nanami, you know I suck at games compared to the likes of you. If you think you're bad at dating sims I'm definitely worse."

Chiaki wrings her hands. "Perhaps we can try it together sometime. With our combined strengths we could achieve a happy ending?" She suggests bashfully.

He smiles. "Yeah, definitely."

The pink-eyed Ultimate then glances up at the clock, noting the time. "We've been here for a while. Want to go help out on the beach?"

The brunet sighs and nods. "It would be rude if we didn't." He agrees.

Chiaki then grabs onto Hajime's hand and drags him out of the library. She doesn't let go even after they've left, not even when both e-handbooks chime with the sound of another Hope Fragment.

(skip until here.)

-

Ibuki is in the pair's face the second they arrive at the beach. After offering their assistance, Ibuki drags Chiaki over to the stage while Hajime is shoved in Nagito's direction. Not that Hajime minded of course, he loved spending time with Komaeda. 

He sauntered over to Nagito with a bright smile on his face, waving a little. Nagito locks eyes with him and smiles brightly. A heart-melting smile. 

"Hiya Hinata! What are you doing over here?" Nagito greets him, momentarily stopping his work. 

Hajime tilts his head. "I'm here to help you, since no one else is. You shouldn't have to do the worst job alone."

Nagito's cheeks pinken slightly. "Oh. . .that's awfully sweet of you to offer, Hinata, truly I'm honored, but you shouldn't have to do this dirty work too." He insists.

Hajime rolls his eyes. "That wasn't a choice. Allow me to rephrase: I'm helping you. Get me a spear and a bag."

Nagito ducks his head. "Well if it's an Ultimates wish, who am I to refuse?"

Hajime smiles. "Good. Let's get to work then."

-

About an hour later, Hajime was sweating a lot with the combination of the island heat and the laborious task. Komaeda, being the observant guy he was, noticed this immediately.

"How about you take a break, Hinata?" He suggests gently. 

Hajime frowns at him. "Really? What about you then?"

The fluffy boy smiles. "I'll be fine. I'm not even tired. I'll take a break soon." He promises. 

Hajime shrugs. "If you're sure. . .then, make sure you do soon."

After parting ways with Komaeda he went to pester Chiaki.

"Nanami!" He calls.

She turns to him, looking a little peeved. "What is it, Hinata?" She demands.

"Let's take a break." 

"Yeah, we all will in a second. Just let me finish and upload my code here," She huffs, looking back down at her code, "you're making Komaeda take a break too, right?"

"Of course I am," He sighs back, "I worry about that poor boy. I just want him to be healthy and happy." He admits.

Even if he wasn't taking it right away. 

"Komaeda is lucky to have you in his life." She says, climbing to her feet. She then calls out to Ibuki before following Hajime away from the stage. 

In the corner Komaeda is taking a break, sipping at some water. Hajime lets out a sigh of relief.

'He is taking a break. Good. . .'

Chiaki smiles at him and begins to speak. "How are things, Komaeda?" She greets him kindly. He offers back a weak smile.

"Same old same old. . ."

-

He talked with Chiaki a little while longer even after Nagito got back to work, some more people showing up to help as well. 

Teruteru's supper of chicken and salad was delicious as well. After eating he retired to his cottage for the night, exhausted after a long, eventful day.

He changed into some appropriate sleeping attire (T-shirt and baggy sweatpants) before climbing into bed, passing out the second his head hit the pillow.

-

Hajime liked to get an early start when he could but today he slept in a little. He dressed in some simple beach attire: an orange and green Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned over his swimming binder and lime green swimming trunks. He ate a quick breakfast consisting of an orange, a handful of granola, and some black coffee. 

Most people had already arrived, save for Sonia and Chiaki. Hajime glances around the terrain, eyes landing on Nagito standing in the corner, holding an untouched soda. Shrugging to himself, he saunters over to annoy Nagito.

The fluffy-haired boy instantly brightens once Hajime approaches him, automatically making the brunet warm inside. 

"Hi Hinata!" The bubbly boy greets him.

Hajime smiles. "Hey Komaeda. How are you today?" 

He shrugs. "Same as I always am, I guess," Nagito then glances around at the party, "this would be the perfect setting for a murder mystery, eh, Hinata? So many potential subjects. . .just how would the protagonist solve it?"

Hajime cocks his head to the side. What a strange conversation topic. That's Nagito for you, I guess. 

"I suppose you've got a point there. You'd have to get, motive, inspection, alibis. . .it'd sure be a lot of time and effort. I'm glad that we don't have to do that kind of thing here on this island." He agrees. 

Hajime then notices the peach-haired gamer arrive at the party out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she felt a little out of place or something so he decided to go check on her.

"Komaeda, I'm going to go see Nanami for a moment," He pats the slightly-taller boy's shoulder, "I'll see you in a bit."

Nagito nods back, smiling faintly. Hajime then turns away and approaches the gamer.

"Hello Nanami," He says, "Party seems to be going well."

Chiaki nods in agreement. "It makes me so happy to see everyone getting along and having a great time together. It just warms my heart."

"I sure hope there are no issues that arise." The brunet can't help but mutter, thinking of Nagito and his questionable words, making Chiaki giggle a little. 

They each stand in silence for a moment before Chiaki speaks again. "I played a dating sim once that started at a beach party," She can't help but mention, "you were to meet all the pursuable characters there and to pass the first branch you had to get one of them to kiss you before the party was over. Now I don't know anything about kissing or getting someone to kiss me so naturally I failed. Wish I could know."

And then he said something he would regret in the long run. 

"I can show you how to," Hajime blurts out immediately, "once if you want."

The brunet stiffened, going red, looking mortified the second those words left his mouth. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I just wanted to help-"

Chiaki's eyes widened significantly as she stepped closer to him. "Could you really show me how to kiss? I'd really like to kiss someone once in my life."

'I don't think I like her in that way. . .but just once to help out a friend. . .surely it will be fine.'

Hajime blushes. "Only to help you out," He allows nervously, "purely platonic. . .okay. . .here, put your hands here. . ."

"Of course," She giggles, allowing Hajime to guide her hands, "I've seen the way you look at Komaeda sometimes."  
Choosing to ignore her last comment, he guides her arms around his neck, moving his own hands to her waist and tugging her forward.

"And then you just. . ."

He bends down and gently presses his lips to hers. Chiaki, surprised by the strange feeling, can't help but respond.

Something about the kiss feels weird to Hajime. Like something's not right. Much to his surprise, a certain someone comes to mind that he would much rather kiss. 

Maybe even. . .Nagito Komaeda.


	4. Nagito Komaeda

Rewind. . .Rewind. . .

Loading. . .

Nagito stood on the beach, feet buried deeply in the sand. He squeezed the toes of his bare feet, feeling the grainy sand get all bunched up between his toes as he stared out at the sparkling water of Jabberwock Island. The thought briefly crosses his mind that he could easily walk out into the water and never be seen again but he quickly shakes it off.

He had had another nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep (not that he wanted to). So he had gotten dressed for the day and had wandered out here. It was the first place he could think of, really. 

It wasn't long before he sensed someone's eyes on his. He couldn't tell who it was yet and he didn't turn his head. He listened quietly as a set of footsteps got closer and another presence joined his side; Hajime Hinata. 

They stood there in silence for a few moments before Nagito let out a soft sigh and turned to Hajime with a gentle smile. "Hello there, Hinata. What brings you out here so early?"

Hajime scowls slightly. "I could ask you the same thing."

Nagito chuckles. "I suppose you could. But, this sort of thing is normal like me, not someone like Hinata-ah, I'm sorry! It's not my place to ask an Ultimate about their personal business."

"Politeness is not personal business, Komaeda," Hajime sighs, rolling his eyes, "if I were you I'd be wondering the same thing."

Nagito sniffs. "Thanks Hinata. You're such a good fri-( 'you fool, you absolute moron. How dare you call someone as amazing and hopeful as Hinata, much less an Ultimate, a friend of scum like you' )-person. Thank you for caring about me."

Hajime smiles, nudging the fluffy boy's shoulder. "Of course I do. You're my friend, Komaeda. Probably my best friend on this entire island."

Nagito's eyes widen, cheeks flushing slightly.

'Wow, Hinata weaves such beautiful lies for the likes of me. . .'

"R-Really?! Y-Yeah, you're my best friend too, Hinata ( 'Although you mean so much more to me than that' ) Thank you." 

"I'm glad to hear it, Komaeda," Hajime replies, reaching up to pet his fluffy little head, "why don't you try and get an hour or so of shuteye before we need to leave for breakfast." 

'I don't want to leave Hinata. . .I like spending time alone with him. And yet. . .I should really listen to him.'

". . .Alright, whatever you say, Hinata. Goodnight."

Nagito then steps away and starts heading back towards the hotel, feeling Hajime's gaze on him the entire time. 

Such a kind boy that Hajime is. It's quite understandable why Nagito loves him so much. How wonderful it would be to tell him just once. . .

The Lucky Student turns back to Hajime, smiling a little. "Hinata. . .please don't forget from the bottom of my heart. . .I am truly in love with y- ( 'If Hinata gets close to you, he'll die just like everyone else. You bring death wherever you go. You really want to hurt him too? Selfish jerk.' ) -the hope that sleeps inside you. . .bye now." 

He immediately turns and begins rapidly walking away from Hajime and the beach, feeling so utterly embarrassed.

-

As usual, he didn't touch much food at lunch and here he was, walking aimlessly around the hotel property, humming quietly. He briefly considered going to get another Hope Fragment from someone but he didn't think anyone other than Hajime would be willing to hang out with and who knows where he's at?

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices a couple of his classmates gathered in the corner, like they were plotting something. Suddenly, Ibuki pokes her head out of the cluster, waving her hands wildly.

"Komaeda-chan! Come here a second!" She hollers. 

'Do they need my assistance? hmm. . .it wouldn't hurt to check.'

Komaeda shrugs to himself before approaching them with an easy smile. Ibuki immediately gets all up in his face.

"You said you were good at cleaning, right?"

"That's the only thing I'm really good for, yes."

"Great!" The musician declares, "We want to have a party on the beach in a day or so, I think. Yeah, that'll work. Anyways, can you clean up the beach for me?"

'Wow. . .Wow, I'm so happy I could soar! The Ultimates actually need help from scum like me. . !'

The boy nods back. "Yes of course, anything for the Ultimates. I can do that straightaway."

Nagito felt like he was floating on air. This is actually what he's meant for-to help out the Ultimates however they need! And a fun party will surely inspire so much hope, right?

"-That includes you, Komaeda-chan. Ibuki will shave your head in your sleep if you don't!"

She means if he doesn't attend the party, no? Well that is quite a scary thought.

"That certainly would be troublesome. . .Alright, if everyone insists on having a trashy person like me there, then I'll make an appearance." 

Almost instantaneously, everyone got wrapped up in conversations of their own, once again leaving Komaeda alone. Great, what should he do now?"

-

Komaeda stumbles upon the gorgeous red-haired photographer taking pictures of the ocean on the private beach of the Second Island. He had been wandering around aimlessly and had somehow ended up here but he found it to be a stroke of luck; here he could witness an Ultimate's talent at work.

Mahiru lets out a contented sigh before letting her camera fall to her side. She then turns around, widening her eyes the second they land on Nagito who jumps in turn and bows his head down sharply.

"Forgive me, Koizumi-san, I did not mean to spy on you," He cries immediately, "I was simply observing your photography skills! You're so very talented."

Mahiru rolls her eyes and huffs. "Yeah. Fine. Is that all you wanted, Komaeda?" 

"Actually," Nagito muses, "now that I'm here, would it be alright if I could witness your skills up close? I don't mean to disgust you of course!"

Mahiru's shoulders relax. ". . .Alright. Here, come over here into the light and I'll take a photo of you."

"No, you don't need to waste your talent on some-"

Before Nagito can finish that sentence he's silenced with a hard glare.

". . .Alright, I'm coming!"

-

Komaeda went to bed with a smile on his face.

-

He woke up extra early as per usual. Dressed and washed, he got to the restaurant so he could eat quickly and get out of there before the other Ultimates got there so he wouldn't disturb them for once. But much to his surprise, Hajime Hinata was there, sitting there staring blankly at the table. 

He considered going to sit with him. Would Hajime be alright with that? Well, there was only one way to find out, I suppose. 

He wanders over to Hajime's table, smiling nervously. "G-Good morning Hinata. . .would you mind if. . .if you would allow me to. . .may I sit with you?"

Nagito squeezes his eyes shut in nervous anticipation. 

"Sure, of course you can, Komaeda. You don't need to ask, you know."

I smile shyly. ". . .Okay."

Nagito then sits down across from him with a sorry look on his face. "I apologize for forcing an amazing Ultimate like you to sit near a disgusting lowlife such as myself. I-"

Hajime holds up a finger and frowns, instantly silencing Nagito. "Stop. That's not what I meant at all, Komaeda. And promise me you'll eat something for breakfast."

Chiaki enters the restaurant next and immediately comes and sits down next to the brunet. Hajime immediately lights up at her presence. . . really? Really, what does Chiaki have that he doesn't?

"Good morning, you two. Did you have a good sleep then?"

Hajime shrugs back. "The usual. How about you Nanami?"

The gamer yawns. "Yep. Komaeda?"

He laughs nervously. "Yeah, as good as it can be." He answers.

"So what are you two doing today?"

Nagito shrugs. "I'm going to clean up the beach for tomorrow. It should take me right up until supper time."

Chiaki tilts her head. "By yourself? Isn't that a lot of work for one person?"

"Please, cleaning is the only thing I'm good for. I appreciate your concern, Nanami, but I can handle it." The boy promises.

Hajime glances at him sideways. "I'll see if I can drop by and help you out later." He mentions. Komaeda seems to light up at these words, looking like he just might float away.

"Thank. . .Thank you, Hinata!" He squeaks back.

"So what'll you do, Nanami?"

Chiaki shrugs back. "Wander around, nap, see if there's anything I can do to help out."

Hajime snaps his fingers. "Perhaps we can earn a Hope Fragment together?" He suggests eagerly. Komaeda continues to stare down at the table, a blank look on his face.

Chiaki smiles back. "Perhaps we can go to the library?"

-

Nagito had been working hard for almost two hours now so it was a nice reward when a surprised-looking Hajime was shoved in his direction, making him brighten. 

"Hiya Hinata! What are you doing over here?" Nagito greets him, momentarily stopping his work. 

Hajime tilts his head. "I'm here to help you, since no one else is. You shouldn't have to do the worst job alone."

Nagito's cheeks pinken slightly. His darling Hajime was helping him of his own freewill. . ! "Oh. . .that's awfully sweet of you to offer, Hinata, truly I'm honored, but you shouldn't have to do this dirty work too." He insists.

Hajime rolls his eyes. "That wasn't a choice. Allow me to rephrase: I'm helping you. Get me a spear and a bag."

Nagito ducks his head. "Well if it's an Ultimates wish, who am I to refuse?"

Hajime smiles. "Good. Let's get to work then."

-

After another hour of work, he commanded an exhausted-looking Hajime to take a break. His eyebrows furrowed when he instantly trots over to Chiaki like an eager lovesick puppy.

He scowls. He could be just as good as Chiaki, right? He could make Hajime happier. . .probably. Not that he deserved him in the first place. Someone as wonderful as Hajime would never be romantically interested in dirt like him.

A moment later, Sonia Nevermind wandered over to check on him. "Hello Komaeda! What can I do to help?"

He looks up at her with a face full of shock. An Ultimate, the Ultimate Princess no less should not be picking up trash. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly allow a lovely Ultimate such as yourself to do such an awful task. The least trash like me can get rid of all the other trash here." He insists.

The Princess frowns, snatching the spear he was using to pick up the trash pieces with out of his hands. "Nonsense. What do we always tell you about your self-deprecating tendencies? You're not trash!" She insists, "Go take a break this instant! And I better not see you working!"

Komaeda looked like he wanted to drop to his knees and bow.

"Ah, okay Nevermind. I'll do as you say. Please excuse me." Komaeda responds with an empty smile before stepping away. 

He turns his attention towards the stage. 'Maybe I can help out there. . .'

-

After awakening and dressing himself in a hoodie and some swim trunks, he went to the beach early to help with any final preparations. Another hour passed and the party had begun.

He resolved himself to standing quietly in the corner, holding a red can of soda in his hand that he was barely touching. Everyone was having such a good time, there's so much hope! The food, the music, the dancing. . .it was all so wonderful! 

He was so distracted by the excitement and amusement that had barely noticed Hajime appearing in front of him.

Nagito's heart flutters. He was so very close to him. . !

"Hi Hinata!" He greets him eagerly. 

Hajime smiles. "Hey Komaeda. How are you today?"

He shrugs. "Same as I always am, I guess," Nagito then glances around at the party, "this would be the perfect setting for a murder mystery, eh, Hinata? So many potential subjects. . .just how would the protagonist solve it?"

'Why would I say that?! Why would anyone say that?! Hajime's going to think I'm so weird now. . .'

Hajime cocks his head to the side.

"I suppose you've got a point there. You'd have to get, motive, inspection, alibis. . .it'd sure be a lot of time and effort. I'm glad that we don't have to do that kind of thing here on this island." He agrees.

'Wow, Hajime actually went along with it quite easily, and he took it seriously. . .! Maybe I actually have a chance. . ?'

Suddenly, Hajime angles his gaze slightly to the right. Nagito follows it, and to his dismay Hajime and staring at Chiaki with a certain gleam in his eyes. 

"Komaeda, I'm going to go see Nanami for a moment," He pats the slightly-taller boy's shoulder, "I'll see you in a bit."

'Of course, he doesn't want to spend time with the likes of me. He'd rather be with the girl he loves, of course.'

Nagito nods back, smiling faintly. Hajime then turns away and approaches the gamer.

Nagito watches the two converse eagerly, an empty smile on his face. Of course, Hajime and Chiaki should be together, they're right for each other. Hajime will be much happier with her. . .

He wishes that wasn't true, but seeing them kiss puts the final nail in the coffin. 

He feels his heart shatter.


	5. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's really confusing for me and for you hehe
> 
> sorry it seems rushed

Rewind. . .Rewind. . .Re-ERROR!

Sonia wanted to bolt but at the same time her feet felt rooted to the ground. Her entire body tensed and she felt like she was going to collapse any second. 

'Of course. . .Chiaki loves Hajime, not me. . .of course. . .'

Luckily from across the beach Gundham Tanaka sensed his friend's distress and turned to look at her. He then followed her gaze over to Hajime and Chiaki and sighed loudly. He excuses himself from the game and walks over to her.

He wraps an arm around the princess and turns her away from them. "Come, Princess. . .let us get you away from this wretched sight. Let us traverse back to your dwelling and fetch you a mug of herbal tea." 

Sonia sniffs. "Alright." She responds, allowing herself to be led away.

~

Hajime allows himself to be gently pushed off a smiling Chiaki. She then tilts her head to the side.

"That was nice. . .thank you for showing me, but. . .there's someone else I think I want to do that with," Chiaki glances around the beach, "where is Nevermind?"

Hajime smiles. "I understand. There's someone I must talk to as well. . .go find Nevermind, Nanami." 

Chiaki then steps away with an apologetic look on her face before dashing away to locate her Princess. Hajime lets out a sigh, putting his hands on his hips. Sure, he'd been thinking about being with Chiaki for a while but now and didn't think that was what he wanted but now that he had actually kissed her he found himself confirming that maybe that wasn't what he wanted after all.

Why had his mind wandered to Nagito during the kiss? Nagito has been causing him some confusion for a while now. But. . .he wasn't gay or anything. . .maybe?

He had to talk to Nagito. Now. 

He glances back at where Nagito was standing a moment ago but there was no Nagito to be seen. He looks around sharply but it seems Komaeda is not here at all. Where had he gone?

He bits his lower lip. Maybe he got tired and went back to his cottage. He should start there. And if not-well, there were other places he could check.

~

As Chiaki walked back towards the Hotel, her mind swirled with thoughts. Was it really fair to do this to Sonia? Or even herself?

She's an AI. As much as she hates remembering her purpose and the truth of her existence, she really enjoyed spending time with all of the former Remnants and had formed genuine connections. Hell, she even thinks she has romantic feelings for a certain Princess.

If she tells Sonia how she feels and her love is requited, it will crush Sonia when she gets out of the program and realizes the real Chiaki died long ago. 

Once everyone leaves she will be all alone. Maybe she can work for Future Foundation like Alter Ego had started doing. Then maybe she could continue talking to her friends. . .

But the gamer knows she shouldn't get her hopes up. 

The Ultimate Gamer steps onto the Hotel property, heading towards the girls' cottages. She then walks rapidly towards Sonia's cottage with excitement bubbling in her chest before she sees a sight that jolts her all the way down to her spine.

Gundham with his arm drawn tight around the Princess while she giggles at something the sorcerer just said. She then unlocks the door, pulling him inside by his scarf, letting the door slam shut behind them.

'Ah. Sonia is with Gundham, huh? Well, that's better than being with someone who isn't even real. . .they can have an actual future together and will be happy. . .probably.'

Chiaki turns away. 

~

"Hajime and Chiaki. . .that makes more sense than Hajime and I ever would," Nagito mutters, "ha. . .how could I have been so stupid?"

Komaeda continues walking in the direction of Jabberwock Island, trying desperately not to let tears fall. Crying at something as dumb as this is pathetic. Besides it's better this way; now Hajime won't get hurt because of him. 

"I shouldn't ever talk to Hajime again. . .he probably hates me anyway. He only talks to me because he pities me, huh? I shouldn't talk to anyone. . .I'll just stay in my cottage all day." He mutters, kicking a stone. 

"Bullshit!" A voice shouts, making him jump. Komaeda whirls around and finds herself face to face with Mahiru. She points a finger at him, getting all up in his face. "You may be an annoying jerk sometimes, Komaeda, but that doesn't mean you should tuck your tail between your legs and coward away like a little bitch! Who is it, Hinata you like? He's looking for you, you know."

Komaeda's eyes widen. "I-he is? Wait, why are you telling me this? Why are you here?" 

She rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Uh-Who cares about that?! Am I not allowed to care about my classmate? Or even my friend? Your crush is out there searching for you and here you are moping out here! Go see Hinata." She orders. 

Nagito chuckles airily. "Ah, are you sure your talent isn't Ultimate Mothering? Or Ultimate Wrath?" He jokes, "but if you say so I cannot refuse. Where did you last see him?"

Mahiru's face softens. "Heading towards your cottage. You better hurry, Komaeda."

Nagito nods curtly. "Got it. I'm going."

~

"Komaeda-kun? Komaeda-kun! Ko-mae-da are you in there?" Hajime shouts, pounding against the cottage door. 

"Hinata-kun." 

Hajime turns around quickly at the sound of the voice, coming face to face with Nagito. He looks kind of shy and hesitant and had done up the zipper of his hoodie.

Hajime sighs, relieved. "There you are. I was looking for you, you know."

"So I've heard."

They both stand there awkwardly for a moment before Hajime speaks again. "Look, there's something I need to talk to you about. . .can we go inside actually?"

"I suppose. Let's go."

Nagito unlocks the door to his cottage and they both go inside. Hajime immediately settles himself on the bed. 

"So, Komaeda-kun, something weird happened today. . ." He begins.

Nagito smiles weakly. "I noticed. You finally got to kiss Nanami. I'm happy for you two."

Hinata frowns. "What? No! I mean well yeah, but, it was purely platonic. Chiaki just wanted to know what it was like, she likes Sonia! And I like you!"

Nagito blinks, trying to process a million things at once. Chiaki likes Sonia? Then why did she willingly kiss Hajime? And if he felt that way about the likes of him then why did he willingly kiss him? Then it was platonic? But if they liked other people then why'd they kiss each other? Unless they realized what they really wanted once they touched. But there's no way Hajime could actually like him. Then-

"I can see the gears turning in your brain," Hajime pipes up gently, "I'm sorry, that was a lot at once, huh? Okay, Chiaki and I don't like each other but we wanted to help each other out. Chiaki realized she would rather be with Sonia and I couldn't stop with my confusing feelings about you. I like you. Understand?"

Nagito nods slowly. "Yeah, it's just a lot to take in. Hehe. . ." He giggles a little, "Hajime likes me? Impossible." 

Hajime reaches out for him. "It's true, or, at least I think it is. I'd like to explore it. How about you?" 

Nagito is silent for a moment. "This. . .is just a cruel lie. Get out of here, Hajime."

Hajime frowns, standing. "It's the truth, Nagito! How can I convince you?!" He pleads. 

Nagito was convinced alright. Hajime wouldn't fight this hard if it was true. But. . .Hajime can't get hurt because of him. Hajime's been getting too close to him for too long. It's time to end this. It's time to lie.

"Hinata, I don't like you like that anyways. I think you should leave now. Please get out of my cottage." He sighs heavily.

Hajime opens his mouth to protest but seemingly decides against it. With his eyes trained on the floor, he slowly walks out of the cottage, slamming the door behind him.

Nagito groans, flopping onto the bed, burying his head in his pillow. Why did he do that to Hajime? He really didn't have to, he liked Hajime. It's not fair, to him or Hajime! And yet, he didn't want Hajime to hate him. How could he remedy this situation?

~

When Chiaki got to the beach that evening, someone was already there, staring at the sunset. Hajime Hinata was looking all crestfallen, staring blankly at the water.

"Things didn't work out well with Komaeda, huh?" She says, placing herself by his side. He shrugs helplessly.

"I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or if he didn't like me in the same way or both. He said he saw us kiss. Ugh, everything is so confusing! Ah. . .how did things go with Sonia, then?" He explains.

"I saw her go into her cottage with Gundham. They were both holding each other and giggling." Chiaki says and that's all she had to say.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too." 

"Well if they're both not interested, then there's nothing that can be done." 

"Yeah. . ."

~

Sonia felt a little better after her talk with Gundham but it still didn't mean she slept well that night. He had cracked jokes and given her inspiring, comforting words. He's such a good friend. 

She was so tired her head nearly fell into her morning tea. And here she thought that was something that only happened in TV comedies. She didn't seem to be the only groggy one in that restaurant that evening. Chiaki, Hajime, and Nagito also looked battened down and defeated.

It sure was a rough night for several people on the island. As a result the overall mood was low and Usami wasn't having that. 

She appeared in the center of the restaurant that morning, complaining about the lack of happiness and hope and suggested everyone went swimming (although the way she said it was more like an order).

And so that's what they did. But unfortunately for the first time on Jabberwock Island a storm brewed and they were all summoned to Jabberwock Park.

The second Monokuma appeared, all petty relationship drama disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nagito and Mahiru can be bffs. . .as a treat


	6. Conclusion

F O R C E D S H U T D O W N

.........

........

Two Months Later...

More than half of the former Remnants have woken up and were recovering from Despair and the horrid Neo World Program Killing Game. The only ones still under were Peko, Nekomaru and Nagito, and Hajime (along with the assistance of Izuru) was working tirelessly to get them out. 

He still had many things to talk to Nagito about, and the boy in question had many things to answer for. He wasn't going to let him slip away now. Peko and Nekomaru had people out here waiting for them too; Akane missed training with her beloved coach and Fuyuhiko desperately wanted to talk to Peko. He'd often catch him sitting by her pod with tears in his eyes, talking to her comatose state for hours on end. 

Sonia hadn't been faring well after learning of the permanent loss of Chiaki but having all of her friends by her side had eased the pain and she would often talk to Chiaki as she lied in bed at night, not really concerning herself with whether Chiaki's spirit was listening or not. That's why Hajime was also working to find a way to restore and allow AI Chiaki to talk to the others.

Hajime finished uploading his latest file to the Neo World Program before shutting his laptop and leaning back in his chair with a loud sigh. He really should get some rest but first: food. 

-

Peko woke up two days later and Fuyuhiko was overjoyed. He'd been spending his time day and night by her beside, helping with her rehabilitation and recovery whenever he could. Hajime was even more tired now that he had another patient to take care of but at least now he had Mikan to help him out. 

Nekomaru was due up any day now but Nagito seemed to be a whole other case entirely. Therefore Hajime had created World Destroyer and was ready to send them to Komaeda; programming the avatar to look like whoever Komaeda missed the most. He one-hundred percent expects it to appear as Chiaki-a happy, familiar face to help him out of there. 

-

Sonia stood alone on the beach staring at some nearby trees. She liked the overall atmosphere of the beach but she couldn't bear to look at the actual water; it reminded her too much of what she did to those poor young girls, earning the name Bloody Princess Sonia. 

She shuddered in disgust, wrinkling her nose at the memories. 

Sonia missed Chiaki. That was a fact. Now that she was out of simulation she had regained her memories of real Chiaki and of her gruesome death. They had been close and she missed her dearly. It hurt all the same watching AI Chiaki's in-game execution. Her Despair days, Chiaki, the killing game. . .it was all just too much for her to bear.

But still she held her head high and acted like she was dealing with everyone just fine; such was the duty of a Princess. She had to be a good role model now. 

She began walking back towards her cottage as the sun began to set, ready to get something to eat.

-

When Hajime got the notification that Nagito was waking up, he barely remembered to put his shoes on before sprinting to Komaeda. 

-

He felt as if he was floating in nothingness. His body felt heavy and feathery light at the same time. It was an odd yet pleasant feeling.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

In the near distance is a faint humming sound. It was rhythmic, pulsing, gradually growing louder and louder.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

His body is sinking now, flashes of blue and grey intruding on his vision. It feels as if thin ropes are squeezing his limbs and his brain. Everything is on fire. He opened his mouth to scream but no words came out.

InhaleExhaleInhaleExhaleInhale-

-

Nagito's eyes fly wide open as he sucks in a sharp breath. He lurches upward in an effort to sit up but he's held firmly in place; restraints are fastened around his arms, legs, and forehead. He finds himself faced with a thick panel of glass, keeping him securely enclosed in whatever kind of pod this is. He begins struggling immediately, thrashing wildly in an attempt to free himself.

Suddenly, there's a loud beeping noise and the lid begins to lift.

"Woah, Nagito? Hey, hold on, calm down!" Someone calls out. That same someone then leans over them, revealing themselves to Nagito. They have spiky mocha-brown hair and mismatched red-and-green eyes, reminding Nagito of the Christmas season. He's wearing a white short-sleeved button-up and dark jeans. Hajime Hinata, or. . .Izuru Kamukura?

"Calm down." They repeat sharply. Nagito doesn't relent, choosing instead to fight back harder. He then opens his mouth and screams right in the brunet's face. The brunet merely sighs in response, reaching for something out of his line of sight. "Sorry about this." He then mutters, pushing something thin and metal into him.

And then his world goes black.

-

Hajime Hinata sighs, staring down at the knocked-out boy with off-white hair and grey-green eyes. He flinches slightly as his eyes fall on the black and blue rotting arm attached to him. He'd have to get that removed immediately.

There were preparations to be made before Nagito woke up again. He moves back to his computer, typing in the code that would release Komaeda from his restraints. He hears a sharp puff of air as the metal cuffs retract.

He then moves back over to Nagito's pod. He easily scoops up the thin, frail boy in his arms, his wild cloud-like hair tickling at his chin. Well, over to the hospital they go.

-

Nagito wakes up to a white ceiling. He groans, shaking his head slightly as he tries to wake himself up. The scent of antiseptic fills the air, nearly making the boy gag. He glances to his right, noticing a large window letting in a blinding amount of sunlight. Next to him is a heart rate monitor, beeping with each now-steady beat of his heart. On his other side is a small table, holding a vase of chrysanthemums and a cup of water.

He looks down at his lap. He's sitting half-upright in a hospital bed with flimsy sheets and thin pillows. His gaze falls to his left arm. The bottom part is missing, only leaving a bandaged-up stump.

Huh.

The sound of footsteps alerts Nagito to someone else's presence. His eyes narrow slightly, as he turns towards the door with indifference. Hajime just walked in and is approaching Nagito's bed.

"Izuru Kamukura-no, Hajime Hinata, right?" 

The brunet chuckles nervously. "Both of us are here. But right now I'm Hajime." He explains.

Nagito smiles. "Well then, Hinata, I suppose I should thank you for waking me up?"

Hajime sits down by his bedside, smiling slightly. "Well. . .yes, I suppose. Now, are you feeling well enough to talk?"

Nagito laughs, wheezing slightly. "Sure. You've got to have a lot of questions for me, huh?"

𝕰𝖕𝖎𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊 

"Hey Komaeda?"

Nagito glances up from his bagel to meet Hajime's gaze with a smile. "What's up, Hinata?"

The brunet swallows nervously. "Remember back before the killing game, uh, the day of the beach party?"

The fluffy boy's eyes turn cold. "I remember. What about it?"

"Remember the things I told you after you left? After I kissed-"

Nagito folds his hands together on top of the table. "Your. . .confusing feelings, right? I recall. But why are you bringing this up?"

A cold sweat breaks out on Hajime's back as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well. . .I still feel like that and I wanted to know if you changed your mind." He confesses.

Both sides are silent for a moment before Komaeda finally speaks.

". . .My mind remains unchanged. Even if I wanted to, I can't."

Hajime frowns. "Wait, was this all about your luck? Haven't I told you several times our luck cancels each other's out? If we're together we can be safe, so maybe give us a chance, please? Well, unless you're truly not interested."

The pale boy's eyes glisten. "I've always been interested. But your safety was always more important. Anyone who's ever gotten close to me has. . .well, you know. And besides, I can drop dead any day, you don't want me weighing you down!" 

A tanned hand reaches across the table and rests on top of Nagito's. "I don't care about that. All I want is to be with you. Please?" 

Komaeda lets out a heavy sigh. ". . .Fine. But the second anything bad happens-"

"Nothing bad will happen, so don't worry." Hajime promises firmly. Nagito nods.

"Yeah. Of course."

-

Sonia sat alone on her bed in her cottage, knees tucked into her chest. The doors and windows were shut and locked and all the curtains drawn to keep the room in complete darkness. 

She had cried so much she couldn't physically shed a tear anymore. All she could do was lay there completely still, going numb.

"Nanami. . ." She whispers hoarsely.

The End


End file.
